Device for treating with disinfectant the mouthpieces of telephones and like apparatus



Nov. 17, 1953 v, FRASCHETTl 2,659,778

DEVICE FOR TREATING WITH DISINFECTANT THE MOUTHPIECES OF TELEPHONES AND LIKE APPARATUS Filed Sept. 11, 1950 2-Sheets-Sheet 1 Nov. 17, 1953 v. FRASCHETTI 2,659,778

DEVICE FOR TREATING WITH DISINFECTANT THE MOUTHPIEICES OF TELEPHONES AND LIKE APPARATUS Filed Sept. 11, 1950 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented Nov. 17, 1953 UNITED DEVICE; FORZ TREKTINGT ANTTHE "MUUTHPIE C1513;- OF TEISEPHUNESI AND" APPHRATUS VirgiliorFraschettinLondon; Eilfilamk Application: September 1 1, I950}. swarm; 18412351 tzdlaimsa (Cl.

speech passage=extendingto'that opening; a dis infectingelement having aw-iper component" en'- gagingtliecurved wallj and a distribution compronent within the speech passage and means supporting disinfecting element for swinging movement. about the axis of curvature of the curved wall so' that-the" wiper component moves across; the,- curved; wall .to close and. to, open the speech opening and to distribute disinfectant about it, andmeans toswing-the-disinfecting component: automatically when: the instrument-i is" moved:

The invention-alsovconsiststasflto another feature in a mouthpiece element" having a speech opening formed in a curved wall and having: a.

speeclimassage extendingto thatopenihg disinfecting element mountedfor swinging movement about the axis of curvature of the curved wall, the said element having a wiper component to engage that Wall and a disinfectant distribution component within the speech passage, the said disinfecting element being weighted so that it is swung automatically by movement of the instrument to close and to open the speech opening and to distribute disinfectant about it.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings as applied to a standard form of telephone desk instrument of the combined form, i. e. comprising in the one instrument the receiver and the transmitter.

In these drawings, Figure 1 is an elevation of the complete combined instrument with the device of this invention fitted to its mouthpiece, Figure 2 is an elevation of the hand part of the instrument, Figure 3 is a sectional elevation to a larger scale of the device and of a portion of the mouthpiece, Figure 4 is a sectional elevation taken on the line IV-IV, Figure 3, Figure 5 is an elevation looking in the direction of the arrow V in Figure 3, Figure 6 a section on the line VIVI, Figure 5, and Figure '7 is a perspec tiveview of the wiper of the device.

Referring to the accompanying drawings 1 indicates a combined hand instrument which when out of use is supported by a rest 2 on a base 3, the instrument j comprising a receiver car piece 4 anda transmittermouthpiecei: 5;" such an instrument is. now, in common use.-

Thisv invention? concerned with maintaining,

thenrouthp ice 5 irr a proper *l'iygienic conditibn applying az. disinfectant" to it automatically: Iir'the'ponstruction'illustrated the mouthpiece 'or moreprecisely-that part'on'whichplaysthe'breatli ofthe-user'of the instrument is formedby a metal gridfi} thisgrid maskingranopening 6""at tl'ieend' of a goose-neck passage by which the-sound1 waves? are transmitted to the usual? microphone component: 81

For the" purpose: of disinfecting" this month.-

p iece e: the grid t) there-is-provided ablock" 9* which supporte a wick- P0? to, which? a liquid cfisinf-ectarrt i's supqpiiedi Theblocleg is so mount? ed-f for movementirelativet'othe: gridif 6* that the movement off-theinstrument' l from itshdrizonttai position ofrest (as seen in- Figures 1*)" to its more or less vertical position of use (as seerrrin Figure *2) causes the block" 9 to*-move= and? iirthis way-to cause", the wield lil to'" sweep over the grid 6 and so' to deposit disinfectant upon it:

Thearrangementwoulifalso'preferabYy be suc'h that; when tlierinstrument" I it's' positiorr of rest, theabliocli' B'mccnpies" a=- ppsitiorrv whicli it masks"v Hie? grid- (if so" protecting it: sfigair'ist; the entryofforeignmatterr In the particular construction shown the block 9 is mounted for swinging movement under gravity action and for this purpose the grid 6 is formed as a segment of a circle having an axis coincident or parallel with the axis of pivotal movement of the block 9 which itself has a curved form to correspond to the curvature of the grid. Thus, the block 9 is supported by brackets l l extending cantilever fashion from the outer ends of arms l2 radiating from a plate l3; the plate I3 is supported for free angular movement by a hearing I 4 which is supported by the mouthpiece 5 itself formed with a cylindrical surface l5 on which the grid 6 is mounted.

The disposition of the axis of the bearing I4 is such that when the instrument I is in the position of rest shown in Figure 1, the weight of the block 9 and the parts associated with it will cause the block to swing by gravity to a position over the opening 6' and when the instrument is moved to the position of use shown in Figure 2, the block 9 will be caused by gravity to swing to uncover the opening 6'; obviously in this swinging movement the wick In which is wrapped about the block 9 will sweep overthe grid 6 deposit disinfectant on it to obtain the desired automatic disinfecting operation,

To maintain a supply of disinfectant for the wick, the plate [3 is dished to provide a receptacle for cotton-wool or some other absorbent filling, the receptacle being closed by a screwed cover plate I 6 having a nipple I! by which a charge of disinfectant can be supplied by a gun of usual form.

The wick H] referred to can be taken direct to the receptacle; it'is however preferred to employ a second wick which is coiled in intimate association with filling and is taken out through a passage in a bolt [8 securing the plate l3. to the bearing Hi; the end of thissecond wick l0 terminates within the goose neck passage 1 and it has been found that the disinfecting vapour given off by this wick I0 is sufficient not only to disinfect the interior of the passage 1 but also to.

charge the wick i9 acting as a wiper; the disinfecting of the passage 1 is assisted by the fact that the free end of the wick 10 moves with the reservoir and so acts to wipe the interior of the passage 1.

(The block 9 is preferably provided with flattened helical grooves 19 in which the wick I0 is wrapped; as only the inner convolutions of-the wicksweep over the outer face of the grid 6, the grooves for the outer convolutions of the wick are of such depth as wholly to receive the wick and a cover plate 29 is secured to the block 9 to cover those convolutions of the Wick.

The axis of the bearing l4 could be coincident with the axis of the cylindrical surface l5 of the mouthpiece 5; it is preferred as is shown to oilset the two axes so that when the block 9 is caused to swing to expose the mouthpiece 6', the block will recede from the cylindrical surface; this is shown in Figure 5 where the block 9 is shown in full lines in the position to mask the opening 6' and in dotted lines in its other position.

. The mouthpiece 5 of this invention is as shown intended to replace the usual goose-neck mouthpiece and for this purpose it would be arranged to be detachably secured to the hand-grip part I of the instrument by the same lugand socket connection as is normally used: for this purpose the mouthpiece 5 has remote from the reservoir l3; iii a socket portion 2 to fit over the hollow spigot 22 on the hand-grip; this socket 2| would of course be so disposed with respect to the opening 6' and grid 6 that when it is fitted, the speech opening would be directed towards the mouth of the user when the instrument is brought into position for receiving and transmitting speech.

What I claim is:

1. A telephone instrument comprising a mouthpiece element having a speech opening formed in .a curved wall and having a speech passage extending to that opening. a disinfecting element having a wiper component engaging the curved wall, and a distribution component within t .e speech passage, means supporting the disinfecting element for swinging movement about the axis of curvature of the curved Wall so that the wiper component moves across the curved wall to close and to open the speech opening and to distribute disinfectant, and'means to swing the disinfecting component automatically when the instrument is moved.

- A telephone instrument comprising a mouthpiece element having a speech opening formed in a curved wall and having a speech passage extending to that opening, a disinfecting element mounted for swinging movement about the axis of curvature of the curved wall, the said element havinga wiper component to engage that wall and a disinfectant distribution component within the speech passage, the said disinfecting element being weighted to be swung automatically by movement of the instrument to close and to open the speech opening and to distribute disinfectant about it.

' VIRGILIO FRASCI-IETTI.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,757,781 Roca May 6, 1930 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 343,354 Italy Sept. 25, 1936 396,747 Great Britain Aug. 8, 1933 

